Is coffee-shop coffee too expensive?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Sorry, a few nutters doesn't make bottled water conspicuous consumption... that's just ridiculous.

And drinking bottled water at home because they dislike tapwater is in no way conspicuous consumption. They aren't flaunting anything. They like one over the other for their own personal utility reasons.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Sorry, a few nutters doesn't make bottled water conspicuous consumption... that's just ridiculous.

I'm not about to thoroughly document the appropriateness of a single specific example of a general rule, sorry.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
None of this speaks to my point.

Yes... it does.

It's obvious that I see that; I just consider certain opinions disgusting and stupid. Specifically, when people value something purely because it demonstrates their social status.

Which is nice and all... that is the reason you wear the absolutely cheapest (durable) clothes with no designer wear, right?

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
And drinking bottled water at home because they dislike tapwater is in no way conspicuous consumption. They aren't flaunting anything. They like one over the other for their own personal utility reasons.

Conspicuous consumption is as much about proving social status to oneself as to others.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Conspicuous consumption is as much about proving social status to oneself as to others.

Yeah, they are drinking the bottled water because they want to tell themselves that they are better people because they can afford it!

Where do you come up with this ****? Are you high or something?

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Which is nice and all... that is the reason you wear the absolutely cheapest (durable) clothes with no designer wear, right?

AFAIK I have no designer clothes, though if I did I wouldn't know. I go to the store, say "that looks okay and fits well" and buy it.

[snoopy369]

Perhaps people value social status more than you do? Particularly those for whom social status == earning potential == ability to have those things they enjoy.

Some people value things differently than you. When you start describing what other people value as "disgusting", you start to walk the line of religious fundamentalists... imposing your value system on another.

An it harm none, do what ye will - I'm no wiccan, but it's quite applicable here. Unless you can explain to me what harm any of this does to you, what do you care if people believe in something other than what you believe?

[Kuciwalker]

If you really don't like the bottled water example, I'm not terribly attached to it. It was meant to illustrate, not prove, my point.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by snoopy369
Perhaps people value social status more than you do?

Valuing "social status" at all in this way (by spending money in ways that provide no benefit beyond proving that you had the money to spend) is disgusting and toolish. Even worse, social status is a zero-sum game, so all the money spent on it is literally wasted.

Particularly those for whom social status == earning potential == ability to have those things they enjoy.

You don't, in general, get a pay increase because you buy stuff that makes you look higher-class.

[snoopy369]

As I said. Why do you care, if it doesn't harm you? You're no better than the local christian fundamentalists saying that being homosexual is disgusting if you argue this point.

For some people, social status is a 'good' with high utility. Whether it is because they enjoy spending time with friends who similarly value said status, or because they are not that wealthy but hope to (or did) marry into money, or hope to acquire (or keep) a good job by mingling with those with money, or if they just like people glancing at them on the street and saying "wow, that person's really in"; it is a good.

It is honestly not that surprising how common this is. We are at our core social animals, and social status in the primate world is VERY important.

Would you begrudge someone that which makes them happy? If you do, are you any better than the guy who mocks you for playing computer games?

[snoopy369]

Separately: Social status is not a zero sum game. It is not competitive, by nature. Certainly some might play it that way, but for many it is simply a way of conforming to a set of social conventions that makes it easier to be a member of a certain social group. Social conventions are the backbone of our society, whether they be "do not kill", "don't drive 85 in a 45 zone", or "wear gucci shoes with prada skirts". Knowing that people will act in a consistent way is what makes society work...

[Kuciwalker]

As I said. Why do you care, if it doesn't harm you? You're no better than the local christian fundamentalists saying that being homosexual is disgusting if you argue this point.

Did you miss the point about zero-sum games and wasted resources? It really does make everyone worse off if we're going to treat this economically, like Imran wants.

[Datajack Franit]

Paying 5 dollars for a mug of burned coffee and artificial flavoring

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by snoopy369
Separately: Social status is not a zero sum game.

It's a positional good; social status is merely a ranking relative to everyone else. If everyone had a Ferrari, it would no longer be a status symbol, etc. As such there is a fixed "quantity" and any gain by one person comes at the expense of another.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
I can't stand it it smells nasty and drunk people are irritating, boring, or amusing in exactly the way I don't want to be.

And yet you manage all three stone cold sober.